Allison D. (alleigh) reviewed on 6/18/2008 + 15 more book reviews

With all of the hype surrounding its message, The Golden Compass did not live up to expectations. The writing is mediocre and doesn't give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the story. For example, recognizing that the book is for young adults, very early in the book, Pullman mentions the Aurora Borealis and gives a definition and description to ensure that the reader understands the reference. However, once the Aurora Borealis is defined, it is not necessary to define it every time it is mentioned. This annoying technique also happens with the panserbjørne, or armored bears. Every time the bears are mentioned, Pullman will call them panserbjørne and then redefine them. This annoying flaw pulls the reader out of the fantasy world that is being created.

In addition to the constant redefinition of words, Pullman also does not satisfactorily bring the book to an end. While the book is the first in a series of three, the ending for this one feels more like an arbitrary plot break rather than a real end to the first third of the story.

Finally, the story is too long considering that there are two more books to read after this one. It's clear what is going to happen in the plot, yet there is so little action and so much repetition that the reader feels like the plot is at a standstill.

Overall, there are a lot of other wonderful fantasy books for both young adults and adults. Read one of them before picking up The Golden Compass.

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